Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Specialist Driver Resourcing (SDR), an agency specialising in HGV and lorry-mounted crane operators, is urging builders’ merchants and distributors to secure holiday and sickness cover for their HGV drivers and lorry-mounted crane operators before school break starts.
The agency claim that every July and August, demand for bulk materials rises as site managers race to pour concrete, set foundations and close roofs while weather conditions are good. However, from mid-June onward, one in every four permanent yard drivers typically books time off, and unexpected absences, such as last-minute childcare issues or summer illness, can push that figure even higher, resulting in fewer qualified operators just when customers place next-day, timed or FORS-compliant deliveries.
“Merchants work incredibly hard to win business; the easiest way to lose it is a missed slot on a busy site,” says managing director Simon Pritchard, “A single delayed brick or timber load can stall an entire crew and trigger costly penalty clauses. Planning temporary cover now protects both revenue and reputation.”
SDR maintains a national pool of fully qualified HGV and lorry-mounted crane operators who specialise in the builders’ merchant environment, with every driver being risk-assessed and yard-trained before deployment, allowing clients to book cover for as little as one shift, or secure a rolling rota that dovetails with permanent staff leave calendars.
